Postal worker strike action begins

Fresh strikes by postal workers will be held in a continuing dispute over jobs, pay and services as the threat of a national walkout comes closer.

Members of the Communication Workers Union in Carrickfergus, Stockport, Boston and Hadfield in Derbyshire will walk out for 24 hours, threatening disruption to deliveries.

Further strikes will be held next week in Skegness, Huntingdon, Rochdale, Birmingham, Coventry, London, Birmingham, Middlesbrough and the Isle of Wight.

The union is planning to ballot all 130,000 postal members next month for a national strike in the increasingly bitter dispute.

Deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "Never before have postal workers experienced so many attacks from all sides. Whether it's pay, job security, workload or dignity and respect at work, our members are facing a beating on all aspects of their working lives. Pressure and stress are rising to breaking point. It won't be long before services are dramatically affected.

"Our members do not want to lose money or disrupt services by taking further strike action. However, while Royal Mail refuses to acknowledge the serious issues facing its own employees we feel there is no alternative but to press ahead with a national strike ballot.

"We will call off all strike action in return for meaningful negotiations on modernisation, pay and job security. As the recognised union this is the least Royal Mail should do.

"We are also encouraging the Government to honour its responsibility to the Royal Mail pension scheme by taking on the deficit and also addressing the ongoing problems of regulation which put Royal Mail in a disadvantaged position in the mail market."

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has refused to intervene in the row, which has led to a wave of strikes across the country in recent weeks.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We again urge the union to call off its strikes and to join Royal Mail's drive to complete the modernisation of the business as we tackle the intensifying competition from electronic media and the impact of the recession on mail volumes, now falling at around 10% a year."